Mahaneh-Dan

Ma’haneh-dan. (camp of Dan). Spoken of as "behind Kirjath-jearim," Jdg 18:12, and as between Zorah and Eshtaol." Jdg 13:25.

("camp of Dan"), named so from the 600 Danites’ last encampment here before setting out for Laish (Jdg 18:11-12). They stayed here some time (as the naming implies) assembling and preparing for their expedition. Between Zorah and Eshtaol, the scene of Samson’s first movements by the Spirit of God, while residing with his parents (Jdg 13:25; Jdg 16:31). Mahaneh Dan was situated "behind," i.e. W. of Kirjath Jearim (now Kuriet el Enab) in Judah’s territory. Some identify Eshtaol with Kustul and Mahaneh Dan with Beit Mahanem (Williams, Holy City, Jdg 1:12, note).

MAHANEH-DAN (Jdg 13:25; Jdg 18:12).—The locality of this spot is given in these two passages as ‘behind Kiriath-jearim,’ and as ‘between Zorah and Eshtaol.’ In the former passage we are told that ‘the Spirit of Jehovah began to move Samson in the camp of Dan between Zorah and Eshtaol’; in the latter passage the derivation of the name is given as the place where the last encampment of the band of 600 Danite warriors took place, before they set out on their expedition to Laish. The exact position of the spot has not been identified, as the site of Eshtaol (wh. see) is not known with certainty.

T. A. Moxon.

mā´ha-ne-dan (מחנה־דן, maḥănēh-dhān; παρεμβολὴ Δάν, parembolḗ Dán): This place is mentioned twice: in Jdg 13:25 (the King James Version “the camp of Dan”), and Jdg 18:12. In Mahaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol, the spirit of the Lord began to move Samson. Here the 600 marauders of Dan, coming from Zorah and Eshtaol, encamped behind Kiriath-jearim. It has been thought that these two statements contradict each other; or at least that they cannot both apply to the same place. But if we accept the identification of Zorah with Surah, and of Eshtaol with Eshu‛, which there seems no reason to question; and if, further, we identify Kiriath-jearim with Khirbet Erma, which is at least possible, the two passages may be quite reconciled. Behind Kiriath-jearim, that is West of Khirbet Erma, runs the Vale of Sorek, on the north bank of which, about 2 miles apart, stand Zorah and Eshtaol; the former 3 1/2 miles, the latter 2 1/2 miles fron Khirbet Erma. No name resembling Mahanehdan has yet been recovered; but the place may have lain within the area thus indicated, so meeting the conditions of both passages, whether it was a permanent settlement, or derived its name only from the incident mentioned in Jdg 18:12.